By Michele Eich
I love a good adventure movie in which the villain gets destroyed and the hero or heroine is vindicated. As long as the flick is not too gory and has a happy ending, I’m grabbing my popcorn and soft blanket to enjoy myself. There is a story in the Bible that’s much better than any movie Hollywood could ever produce. The account of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego beats them all!
Their story can be found in the third chapter of the Book of Daniel. This happened during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. The guy was a bit full of himself and sent out an edict that everyone had to bow down to worship the golden statue of him that he made his slaves make. Daniel’s friends refused. They knew that giving their worship to an idol would dishonor God. The punishment for anyone who did not obey the king’s edict was death by fiery flames.
The narcissistic king called the three men before his throne and asked them about their refusal to bow down to an image created by human hands. This was their reply: “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from your majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
Wow! I absolutely love this response! They were not intimidated by the ruler of the land because they knew the Ruler of the Universe! They basically said that whether God delivered them or not, they would not bow down. Take that, Neb!
These are the moments we love in the movies. The underdog tells the overlord that he can take his edict and… well, you get the point. We all love to cheer and applaud this bravado. How refreshing it is to see someone stick to his or her guns and refuse to back down or compromise!
Well, this is where things heat up, literally. King Neb ordered his strongest men to escort Daniel’s three friends to the fiery furnace. A page was taken right out of the enemy’s playbook, and the king demanded that the furnace be cranked up seven times the normal heat level. Oh how our adversary loves to overplay his hand!
Things were about to get good. The men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace were the very ones who got burned up because the fire was so hot. The three friends were then joined by a fourth in the fire who appeared to be the Son of God. The ultimate superhero had arrived on the scene! This got the king’s attention, and he ordered the men to be removed from the fire immediately. Not a hair on the heads of these brave men was singed, and they didn’t even smell like smoke. The king then declared that no harm came to these brave men because no other god could save in this way. Boom!
Like I said, we love a great plot twist like this. However, what if we are the ones in front of the fiery furnace? Would we, like these three men, be able to stand our ground whether God delivered us out of immediate danger or not? I pray we resolve never to bow to the king of Babylon. By refusing to compromise, we either win or we win! When we take that kind of stand, our foes see who God really is for us. The message of getting saved from the fiery furnace spread far and wide in that kingdom.
I feel that this is a moment that many believers are stepping into right now. Will we obey ungodly rulers or stand on God’s Word and His promises to deliver us from evil? Will we worship the golden images of “Babylon” or refuse to bow down to anyone but King Jesus?
I have shared this message for years, but today it feels a little more real as things heat up in the world.
During this time, there were those who obviously bowed down. Who were they? Where are they? These individuals are not even mentioned in the Bible, but the three courageous ones are written in God’s book for all to see. What an incredible privilege! Our Father honors us when we obey and refuse to compromise even when our lives are on the line.
I felt that God spoke to me when writing this. He said that Daniel’s friends were so awestruck by the fourth One in the fire that they didn’t even notice the flames. Wow, wow, wow! This makes me want to enter the battlefield even more because when I do, I will see Jesus and be captivated by Him alone!
Something other than the guards burned up that day. What was it? The ropes that bound Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Bam! They came out unharmed and unscathed, and then got a promotion. We all want to be promoted, but first comes the test. These men passed with flying colors and remained faithful to the one true God, the only One worthy of our worship and adoration. As for me, the only One I want to burn for is King Jesus.
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